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INTRODUCTION

article of thirty-eight pages, covering the whole military record; while the part played by our own country is treated under the article "The United States." Similarly the achievements of the other nations involved are recounted under the names of the different countries, and special articles deal with the greater battles, such as the Marne, the Meuse-Argonne, the Isonzo, and Jutland. The Navy of the United States has been intrusted to Rear-Admiral Austin M. Knight, who writes also on such allied subjects as Blockade, Torpedoes, Safety at Sea, and International Law. The modifications of methods of warfare are described, and special articles are devoted to poison gas, tanks, aeroplanes, artillery, and the like. Dr. Joseph H. Odell, one of the Advisory Board, has summarized the activities of the Red Cross, and has dealt with the completed career of Theodore Roosevelt. To President Sills were intrusted the career of Woodrow Wilson and the account of the Peace Treaty. Other advisory editors have taken active part in the task of describing the New World. Maps have been brought up to date, and the geographical data in general made more adequate for the understanding of the problems of the hour.

All the new material, however, is by no means the result of the war. The census of 1920 has made it possible to include new figures for all the cities and States of the United States, all towns of over 5,000 inhabitants being now listed. The generalizations based on the census are summarized in the general article "Census." The progress of science outside of warfare, the advance of medicine and mechanical invention, the evolution of motor vehicles, the rise of the moving picture, new economic and industrial developments, recent political changes, all have called for new treatment.

Meantime, amid all the confusion and revolution, scholars have not intermitted their labors, and the harvest of their efforts is gathered up in the revision of articles on literature and philosophy. Education, physical, technical, professional, and general has progressed; and one of the striking by-products of the war has been the fresh realization of the necessity of more and better education if the world is to make permanent progress. These themes have been handled by authorities like President Thwing, Chancellor Kirkland, and Professor Councilman, all of the Advisory Board. The problem of the assimilation of the various elements of our immigrant population is discussed by Dr. Odell under "Americanization of Foreigners" and allied topics in various articles on